The Klein College of Media and Communication and the Klein College Alumni Association, with support of the Temple University Alumni Association (TUAA), are proud to introduce The Communicators: Klein College Alumni Speakers Bureau, an initiative that will create and build on existing relationships among alumni, current students and the Klein College community.
The Communicators will leverage the expertise and professional journeys of alumni to enrich student learning while strengthening alumni connections to the Klein College, while increasing internship and job placements for current students.
Klein College already has a well-established record of connecting current students with alumni through events, initiatives and guest speakers in classrooms. The Communicators will not only formalize this relationship but also build on current alumni speaker programming for students.
“This initiative will be meaningful for our students, our faculty and our alumni,” said David Boardman, interim provost of Temple University and dean of the Klein College. “In a fast-paced media landscape, connections with working industry professionals will be vital to helping launch the careers of the next generation of communicators.”
Whether the topic is sports, entertainment, advertising and public relations, journalism, live event production or advocacy, The Communicators will discuss the latest industry best practices across the diverse interests of Klein’s student body.
Students who are eager to meet some of the Klein College’s most prominent alumni will not have to wait long.
The Communicators will formally bring speakers to campus as soon as this semester, with a first visit from Philadelphia-born rapper, singer, songwriter and creative entrepreneur Bri Steves, KLN ’16, on April 8.
Social media professional Erica DePascale, KLN ’12, past 6abc president and general manager, Bernie Prazenica, KLN ’79, and former News 12 executive, Norman Fein, KLN ’60, among others, will also visit before the end of the spring.
The Communicators will celebrate the new program with a reception on April 16, featuring award-winning journalist, author and producer Howard Bryant, KLN ’91, who will be interviewed by Boardman.
Bryant is the author of 11 books on sports, race and American culture. His latest is Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America.
A longtime sports correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday and former ESPN writer, he has worked at outlets including The Washington Post and the Boston Herald.
Bryant is a three-time National Magazine Award finalist and a two-time Casey Award winner, and his work has earned honors from the American Library Association and the National Association of Black Journalists. He is also an Emmy-winning producer, most recently for Netflix’s "The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox,” and he has collaborated on multiple documentaries with Ken Burns.
Bryant will also sit on a panel with Merrill Reese, KLN ’64, radio voice of the Philadelphia Eagles, on April 16 at 2 p.m. in the Annenberg Hall, Atrium, open to all students. The panel will be moderated by Claire Smith, assistant professor of practice and founding executive director of the Claire Smith Center for Sports Media.
See all upcoming events presented by The Communicators: Klein College Alumni Speakers Bureau.